long-form-writer

Long-Form Writer

Generates publication-ready long-form content from a content brief. Produces structured, data-backed drafts for whitepapers, eBooks, research reports, and SEO pillar pages. Each piece is built around the agency's expertise, case studies, and industry knowledge.

Prerequisites

• agency.config.json populated (agency info, services, case studies)
• Content brief (ideally output from content-brief skill)
• Optional: research data from blog-researcher or company-researcher

Phase 0: Intake

Read agency.config.json:

• agency.name, agency.founder, agency.tagline -- for byline and brand references
• services[] -- for naturally weaving in service expertise
• case_studies[] -- for proof points and examples
• outreach.tone -- baseline voice (adapt for long-form: more authoritative, educational)

Accept parameters:

• content_type -- (required) one of: whitepaper, ebook, research-report, pillar-page, guide, playbook
• brief -- (required) content brief object or text with topic, target audience, key points
• word_count_target -- (optional) target word count. Default: by type (see below)
• tone -- (optional) override: educational, authoritative, conversational, data-driven. Default: authoritative
• research -- (optional) research data to incorporate
• seo_keywords -- (optional) array of keywords to target for pillar pages
• include_cta -- boolean. Default: true
• gated -- boolean, is this gated content (lead magnet)? Default: false

Word Count Targets by Type

Content Type	Word Range	Sections
Whitepaper	3000-5000	6-10
eBook	4000-8000	8-12 chapters
Research Report	2000-4000	5-8
Pillar Page	3000-6000	8-15
Guide	2000-4000	5-8
Playbook	2000-3000	5-7

Phase 1: Structure Planning

Based on the brief and content type, generate the document structure:

Whitepaper Structure

1. Title Page
   - Title (under 12 words, benefit-driven)
   - Subtitle (context or scope)
   - Author: [agency.founder] | [agency.name]
   - Date

2. Executive Summary (150-250 words)
   - The problem
   - Key findings
   - Recommended approach

3. The Problem / Market Context (400-600 words)
   - Industry challenge with data
   - Why it matters now
   - Cost of inaction

4-7. Core Sections (500-800 words each)
   - One key argument per section
   - Data + example + insight pattern
   - Case study integration where relevant

8. Recommendations / Framework (400-600 words)
   - Actionable steps
   - Decision framework or checklist

9. Conclusion (200-300 words)
   - Summary of key points
   - Forward-looking statement

10. About [agency.name] (100-150 words)
    - Brief company description
    - CTA: consultation, audit, demo

11. Sources / References

Pillar Page Structure

1. H1: Primary keyword in title
2. Introduction (200-300 words) -- what they'll learn, who it's for
3. Table of Contents (linked)
4. Section 1: [H2 with keyword variation]
   - 400-600 words
   - Internal links to cluster content
5-10. Additional H2 sections
   - Each targets a long-tail keyword
   - Each can standalone as a useful section
11. FAQ section (5-10 questions with schema markup suggestions)
12. Conclusion + CTA
13. Related Resources (internal links)

eBook Structure

Cover page
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why this matters
Chapter 1-8: One core topic per chapter
   - Opening hook
   - Teaching content
   - Example/case study
   - Key takeaway callout box
Chapter 9: Action plan / implementation
Conclusion
About the author
CTA page

Phase 2: Research Integration

For each section, identify:

• Data points needed: stats, percentages, trends (from brief or research input)
• Case study fit: which case_studies[] from config support this section
• Expert quotes: reference industry leaders, studies, reports
• Competitive insight: what others in the space are saying

Rules for data:

• Cite sources for all statistics
• Use recent data (within 2 years)
• If no hard data available, use qualitative observations from case studies
• Never fabricate statistics

Phase 3: Draft Generation

Write each section following these rules:

Writing Rules (non-negotiable)

1. No fluff: Every sentence must inform, argue, or prove. Delete filler.
2. Active voice: "We increased conversion by 40%" not "Conversion was increased by 40%"
3. Concrete over abstract: Numbers, examples, specifics. No "many companies struggle with..."
4. One idea per paragraph: Short paragraphs (3-5 sentences max)
5. Scannable: Use headers, bullet points, bold key phrases, callout boxes
6. No jargon without explanation: First use of any technical term gets a brief definition
7. Case study integration: Weave in naturally ("When we worked with [client], we found...")
8. Transition sentences: Each section flows logically to the next
9. No self-congratulation: Show expertise through substance, not claims

Formatting Elements

• Callout boxes: Key stats, definitions, pro tips (mark with > CALLOUT:)
• Pull quotes: One per major section (mark with > QUOTE:)
• Bullet lists: For actionable items, checklists, features
• Numbered lists: For sequential steps or rankings
• Tables: For comparisons, specs, frameworks
• Bold: Key terms, important numbers, section openers

CTA Integration

If include_cta = true:

• Soft CTA: End of each major section ("Want help with this? [link]")
• Medium CTA: After case study sections ("See how we did this for [client]")
• Hard CTA: Final section ("Schedule a free consultation")
• For gated content: the CTA is the download itself (pre-gate landing page copy)

Phase 4: SEO Optimization (Pillar Pages)

If content_type = pillar-page:

1. Primary keyword in H1, first paragraph, and at least 2 H2s
2. Secondary keywords distributed naturally across sections
3. Keyword density: 1-2% for primary, 0.5-1% for secondaries
4. Meta title: under 60 chars, keyword-forward
5. Meta description: under 155 chars, includes keyword and value prop
6. Schema markup suggestions (FAQ, HowTo, Article)
7. Internal linking opportunities: flag where cluster content can link
8. External link suggestions: 3-5 authoritative sources to reference

Phase 5: Quality Check

Before returning:

1. Word count: Within target range for content type
2. Section balance: No section more than 2x the length of others
3. Data backed: At least one stat or example per major section
4. Case study count: At least 1-2 case studies referenced
5. CTA count: Appropriate density (not every paragraph, but present)
6. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid target 50-65 (professional but accessible)
7. Banned phrases: Check against outreach.banned_phrases
8. No plagiarism patterns: All content original, data properly attributed

Phase 6: Output

Return structured JSON:

{
  "content_type": "whitepaper",
  "title": "The D2C CRO Playbook: How Indian Brands Are Doubling Conversion Rates on Shopify",
  "subtitle": "A data-backed guide to product page optimization for growing D2C brands",
  "author": "Ekata Singh | Plasho",
  "word_count": 3847,
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Executive Summary",
      "content": "Full section text...",
      "word_count": 210,
      "data_points": ["40% of D2C brands have sub-2% conversion rates"],
      "case_studies_referenced": []
    },
    {
      "heading": "The Hidden Cost of Poor Product Pages",
      "content": "Full section text...",
      "word_count": 520,
      "data_points": ["Baymard Institute: 69.8% cart abandonment rate"],
      "case_studies_referenced": ["Kibi Sports"]
    }
  ],
  "seo": {
    "meta_title": "D2C CRO Playbook: Double Your Shopify Conversion Rate",
    "meta_description": "Learn how Indian D2C brands are optimizing product pages to 2x conversion rates. Data-backed strategies from real Shopify case studies.",
    "primary_keyword": "D2C CRO",
    "secondary_keywords": ["shopify conversion rate", "product page optimization", "D2C ecommerce"],
    "keyword_density": {"D2C CRO": "1.4%"}
  },
  "ctas": [
    {"type": "soft", "text": "Want a free CRO audit?", "placement": "after section 3"},
    {"type": "hard", "text": "Schedule a consultation", "placement": "conclusion"}
  ],
  "sources": [
    {"name": "Baymard Institute", "data": "69.8% cart abandonment rate", "year": 2025}
  ],
  "generated_at": "2026-03-13T10:00:00Z"
}

Example Usage

Trigger phrases:

• "Write a whitepaper about CRO for D2C brands"
• "Generate an eBook about Shopify store optimization"
• "Create a pillar page for 'Shopify development India'"
• "Write a research report on D2C ecommerce trends in India"
• "Draft a guide on email marketing for Shopify stores"
• "Create a gated playbook about product page optimization"